Girl, Serpent, Thorn is “an alluring feminist fairy tale” (Kirkus Reviews) about a girl cursed to be poisonous to the touch and who discovers what power might lie in such a curse.
There was and there was not, as all stories begin, a princess cursed to be poisonous to the touch. But for Soraya, who has lived her life hidden away, apart from her family, safe only in her gardens, it’s not just a story.
As the day of her twin brother’s wedding approaches, Soraya must decide if she’s willing to step outside of the shadows for the first time. Below in the dungeon is a demon who holds knowledge that she craves, the answer to her freedom. And above is a young man who isn’t afraid of her, whose eyes linger not with fear, but with an understanding of who she is beneath the poison.
Soraya thought she knew her place in the world, but when her choices lead to consequences she never imagined, she begins to question who she is and who she is becoming...human or demon. Princess or monster.
REVIEW: "There was and there was not....." From the first lines of this book I was hooked. This is a world I want to live in. I was immediately sucked into the world that's a mix of fairy tales and Persian folklore. There are incredibly detailed descriptions of all the characters from the pallor of their skin to the animalistic or other inhuman properties. Soraya is a character in which you love and fear, yet you are always in her corner no matter which choice she makes. When she no longer feels shame about who she or what she feels her final transformation is something to be revered. I listened to this as an audio book straight through from the first world to the last. The narrator's voice was just as enchanting as the story, and only added to this magical tale. Along with the captivating story and characters, the authors acknowledgments were just as enchanting with the background behind her ideas and the retelling of some classic Persian tales. This book is one that will withstand the test of time and will be one you will be hearing about in the coming days and months. Not only do I already have this purchased to add to my bookshelf but I also can't wait to read this author's debut novel from 2017, Girls Made of Snow and Glass.
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